How do I tell if my baby is latching on and sucking efficiently?

To know if your baby is latching on and sucking efficiently there are a few signs that you need to look for. One of the main signs that the baby is not latching on correctly is if nursing is painful.

Breastfeeding should not hurt although it is normal to experience some sensitivity and/or tenderness especially in the first few weeks while you and your baby are getting used to breastfeeding. If you are in extreme pain or if you have an injured nipple, these are also signs that the baby is not latching on properly. Please review the Lansinoh Latch-On Video and use Lansinoh HPA Lanolin to help soothe, heal and protect sore, cracked nipples or use Soothies By Lansinoh Gel Pads for instant cooling relief on contact.

To know if your baby is sucking or getting the milk out of your breast efficiently, you can look for the following signs.

The first clue to know if your baby is sucking efficiently and achieving "proper milk transfer" is to look at the amount of wet and poopy diapers. While this is a very good indicator of proper nutrition this is not the only sign to look for to insure your baby is being properly nourished.
As a general rule, by day 4 a baby should have a minimum of 4 poopy diapers and 4 wet diapers in 24 hours.
By day 6, this increases to 6 wet diapers and the baby will continue to have a minimum of 4 poopy diapers each day for the first months.

When a baby is sucking efficiently you will see the temples and jaw moving and hear a gentle exhale ("kuh") after every couple of sucks. This is the baby swallowing. If your baby begins to get sleepy at the breast, a good way of keeping them interested in feeding is to do breast compressions. This involves gently pushing the milk toward the nipple with your thumb and fingers. This reminds the babies why they are there and encourages them to suck and swallow.

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